Home sweet, home! I am so proud, happy, and grateful to call The Olympic Club my golfing home. With three great courses (Lake, Ocean, and Cliffs) and wonderful practice facilities this place is a true gem. When most people think about Olympic they think of the Lake Course, as its hosted five US Opens throughout its illustrious history. But the truth is that the club has so much more to offer. The Ocean Course is a ton of fun and has a good variety of holes. Couple that with the Cliffs Course, which is a nine hole par 3 course and you've got all the golf that you could ever want.
The Lake Course
The Lake Course, which perennially ranks in the Top 100 courses in the world, is a stern but fun test of golf. For members, the course plays just shy of 7,000 yards from the tips and is a par 71. Though the course doesn't measure over 7,000 I can guarantee you that it plays long and hard. The weather conditions in the Bay Area often produce a damp and heavy air that really depresses the flight of your golf ball.
I'm not going to do a hole-by-hole review of the course rather I'm going to hit the highlights and throw in a few mouth-watering pictures.
Par 3s
The Lake Course has a world-class quartet of par 3s. The first par 3, the third, is a long demanding hole that requires a very well struck ball. There's really no way to hide your long iron game when you arrive to the tee here. The next par 3, hole 8, is beyond picturesque. Framed by a natural amphitheater and nested under the watchful gaze of the beautiful Spanish style Lakeside clubhouse, this hole tests your mid-iron game but offers a generous sized green that is slightly obscured from your line of sight behind some green side bunkers. The third par 3, lucky number 13, is about as far away from the clubhouse as you get. Slightly sloped from right to left feeding toward the ever-present Lake Merced, this hole offers some fun as you can throw the ball right of the pin and watch it feed down to the left. The last par 3 is one of my favorite templates, the short par 3! At only 140-150 yards this hole should be pretty straight forward, right? Not so fast my friend! Don't let the massive bunker fronting the green distract you. Surely you don't let inconsequential things like daunting bunkers get into your head!
Par 4s
I often think that the true test of greatness, whether it's golf or anything else in life, is the ability to show up and perform with single minded focus and sustain that level for long periods of time. In many ways, the par 4s at the Lake Course require that type of greatness. While some may find it boring, I think that the rhythmic test of long par 4s almost always separates good from great golfers and make you focus on the nuanced differences of each hole rather than get lulled into a state of comfort (warning: double bogeys are right around the corner if you allow this to happen). In the 13 hole stretch from hole 2 - 14 there are 9 par 4s that come in at 415 yards or longer. And back to my above point about the depressed ball flight in the Bay Area, there are plenty of mid-to-long irons to be hit into greens.
In addition to the difficult test of long par 4s, the Lake Course has two great short par 4s in hole 7 and hole 18. The seventh can be reached by long hitters but is guarded by green-side bunkers and has a small two tiered green that makes two-putting difficult if you end up on the wrong tier. The 18th on the other hand is a quirky finishing hole as the tee shot is relatively benign but the green complex is one of the most dramatic scenes that I've experienced on a championship golf course. Much like the green on the par 3 eighth, the 18th is surrounded by a natural amphitheater and overlooked by the beautiful Lakeside clubhouse.
Par 5s
The par 5s at the Lake Course are not particularly easy nor are they particularly hard. Each one has a subtle nuance that prevents me from thinking about them as automatic birdie holes. If you play them well there's definitely birdies to be had but I often find myself making one birdie at most each round on this trio. The first hole is probably the easiest chance at birdie you'll have pending you can shake off those first tee jitters. The 16th is pretty long at 609 yards and usually leaves you with a relatively long approach even after two well struck shots. By relatively long, I mean 100 - 150 yards. I rarely find myself anywhere closer than 100 yards so its not like it offers the chance to get on in two. The last par 5, hole 17, is pretty short but is protected by a tricky green that never seems to yield a straight putt. All three holes are fun but none are particularly memorable in my book.
The Ocean Course
The Ocean Course, which always takes a back seat to its more glamorous sibling is still a wonderful course with its own character and charm. It might not be the championship course that the Lake Course is but it has a wonderful variety of holes and much more elevation change, which can be a lot of fun.
I'm not going to write a full debrief on the course rather just offer some visual splendor to stir your curiosity.
The Cliffs Course
Oh man! This might be the low key gem of the entire property. If golf is supposed to be fun then the Cliffs Course is the runaway winner of The Olympic Club. The nine hole par 3 course offers a variety of tee positions for all skill levels of golfers to have a great time.
Additionally, the Cliffs Course is a great way for low handicap players to sharpen their iron play. My favorite game is to play two balls off each tee. The first ball is from the longest teeing position possible and the focus is to hit every green in regulation with my mid-to-long irons. The second ball is played from 110 yards or closer on every hole. The goal here is to play that ball under par. Whatever you choose to do the Cliffs Course is always a good time.
Grades (where 1 is significantly below average and 5 is significantly above)
Scenery: 5 stars
Design: 5 stars
Condition: 5 stars
History: 5 star
Practice Facilities: 5 stars
Experience: 5 stars
Click here for a more detailed breakdown of how I think about course ratings.
Closing thoughts: I think we've talked enough about golf. Let's get down to the brass tacks. The single most important detail about The Olympic Club is that it has THE BEST ON COURSE FOOD option in all of golf. Long live the Burger Dog!
